Submitting Job Applications to Remain Eligible for Unemployment

Submitting job applications to remain eligible for unemployment benefits is an art.

A lot of unemployed workers fail at giving the right answers when audited on their resume submission process. Thus, I want to quickly address this issue.

Job Applications and Unemployment

As you can read under Statute 268.085, workers and employees are required to to seek suitable employment while unemployed.

On the other hand, this unemployment rule fails to identify a specific number. As a result, you have a very ambiguous rule. For those who have kept up, this is what I tell newly unemployed workers. The hard part about an unemployment audit is this: one never knows when or if it will come.

For this reason, I like the idea of logging hours specific to the job search process (looking, applying, following-up, networking, etc.) versus the actual job submission process. After all, careers and jobs are not alike.

On the other hand, this I know: the number of jobs applied for should never be zero (0). For how long though, that is a more significant question, which is why folks generally need advice for their specific situation.

Logs for Job Applications

For those still stuck on the logging process, lets keep it simple, but spot on. A common theme for those that I represent is replacing working hours with job searching. In other words, if an applicant worked 40 hours, then replace those same 40 hours [if possible] with the job search process (looking, applying, following-up, networking, etc.).

Job Applications and Unemployment Audits

As much as it pains me to say it, having an unemployment account audited is a real thing. In my experience, one of the heaviest areas focused on by auditors includes job applications. For this reason, I encourage all receipts of unemployment benefits (especially those in Minnesota) to keep their a folder on their computer exclusive to their job search process.

I agree, there is likely a lot of gray, which again, is an issue that is going to be situation specific.